What does the term 'constructivism' refer to in education?

The term 'constructivism' refers to a theory in education that posits learners actively construct their own understanding and knowledge of the world through experiences and reflection. This approach emphasizes that learning is an active, contextualized process of building new ideas or concepts based on current and past knowledge. In a constructivist classroom, learners engage in hands-on activities, collaborate with peers, and relate new information to their own experiences, which leads to deeper understanding and retention of knowledge.

This is distinct from approaches that focus on rote memorization, which prioritize the recall of information without fostering a deeper comprehension of the subject matter. Similarly, a learning theory based primarily on lectures does not allow for the interactive and dynamic process of knowledge construction emphasized in constructivism. Lastly, while assessment is a crucial part of the educational process, the repetitive evaluation without context does not encompass the core principles of constructivist learning. Therefore, constructivism highlights the learner's role and active engagement in the learning process, making option C the correct choice.